Vaccine News

The European CDC recently confirmed cholera cases have continued to be reported in Africa and Asia in recent months, with outbreaks in parts of the Middle East and the Region of the Americas.

The Communicable Disease Threats Report for week #48 stated that since January 2024 and as of November 25, 2024, 490,700 cholera cases, including 3,693 deaths, have been reported worldwide.

New cholera deaths have been reported from Afghanistan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, South Sudan, Sudan, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

Recent data from the WHO indicates the number of cholera-related deaths increased by 54% globally this year.

However, most European countries have escaped cholera outbreaks.

Nine EU/EEA countries reported 29 cases in 2022, two countries in 2021, and none in 2020.

In this context, the ECDC stated on November 29, 2024, that although the risk of cholera infection for travelers visiting these countries remains low, sporadic importation of cases to Europe is possible.

In the United States, nearly all cholera cases reported are acquired during international travel. As of the end of November 20224, seven cholera cases were reported to the CDC this year.

The CDC writes, 'Visit a healthcare provider or travel clinic to discuss cholera vaccination if you plan to visit an area where cholera is present, or where the water and food are unsafe to drink and eat.'

Recent data published in the Vaccines scientific journal indicates a significantly reduced risk of variant type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV2) emergence after administering the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) when compared to the monovalent oral polio vaccine type 2 (mOPV2).

Published on November 22, 2024, this research evaluated data from vaccination campaigns conducted between May 2016 and August 2024, and the findings align with existing clinical and field evidence supporting the enhanced genetic stability of the nOPV2 vaccine.

While nOPV2 has resulted in new emergences of cVDPV2, the number of cVDPV2 emergences is estimated to be approximately four-fold lower than if mOPV2 had been used instead.

As of early August 2024, about 98% of the approximately 1.19 billion nOPV2 doses administered globally were in African countries.

The inactive polio vaccine has been offered in the United States since 2000.

The U.S. CDC says before traveling to any of these 37 destinations, adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series may receive a single, lifetime booster dose of the polio vaccine.

For the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal's healthcare workers, the memories of dengue fever outbreaks are reawakened each monsoon: the country has seen large-scale dengue outbreaks in the Himalayan mountain's rainy season each year.

The first case of dengue infection in Nepal was reported in 2004. Two years later, in 2006, 32 cases were reported in Chitwan district, which qualified as the country's first indigenous outbreak.

According to reports released by Nepal's Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, the country faced its first major outbreak in 2010, with 917 cases and five deaths.

In 2022, the WHO confirmed 28,109 suspected and confirmed cases of dengue fever, including 38 confirmed deaths (CFR 0.13%), were reported from all seven provinces of Nepal, affecting all 77 districts.

In an op-ed published in the Kathmandu Post on October 26, 2024, Dr. Pun wrote, "the virus has become more complex and dangerous" over the years. But it's also hard to predict the virus's course."

To continue reading Pragya Timsina's unedited article, click here.

In 2024, the U.S. CDC reported that the countries listed in the WHO Western Pacific Region report higher-than-usual dengue cases, and travelers visiting these countries may be at increased risk.

Nepal's government data reveals that 96,305 persons visited the high-altitude mountain country in September 2024, compared with about 72,000 the previous month. Based on the information available for this dengue outbreak, the WHO does not recommend that any general travel or trade restrictions be applied to Nepal.

As of November 30, 2024, the CDC and the WHO say dengue outbreaks remain a global health threat.

GSK plc today announced that the European Commission (EC) had approved a single-vial, fully liquid presentation of Menveo (Meningococcal Group A, C, W-135, and Y conjugate vaccine, MenACWY vaccine) to help protect against invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by bacterial serogroups A, C, W, and Y.

Philip Dormitzer, GSK Head of Global Vaccines Research & Development, commented in a press release on November 27, 2024, “As a leader in meningococcal vaccines, GSK is dedicated to finding innovative solutions that simplify immunization and support vaccine uptake. We remain committed to safeguarding individuals from bacterial meningitis and will persist in our efforts to prevent this devastating disease among at-risk populations in the European Union.”

IMD is an unpredictable, serious illness that can cause life-threatening complications. Despite treatment, among those who contract IMD, up to one in six will die, sometimes in as little as 24 hours.

One in five survivors may suffer long-term consequences such as neurological damage6, amputations, hearing loss, and nervous system problems.

Although anyone can get IMD, babies, young children, and those who are in their late teens and early adulthood are amongst the groups at higher risk.

This single-vial presentation of Menveo is now licensed for active immunization of children from 2 to adolescents and adults. It offers healthcare providers an option that does not require reconstitution before use. More than 82 million doses of this vaccine have been distributed worldwide since 2010.

With over 100 countries reporting chikungunya virus outbreaks this year, more international travelers may soon have access to an essential vaccine.

Valneva SE  today announced that it has submitted a label extension application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to potentially extend the use of the only chikungunya vaccine (IXCHIQ®) currently approved in adults and adolescents aged 12 to 17 years.

The application also includes adding the two-year antibody persistence data to the product label, a key differentiator for IXCHIQ®.

This FDA application follows the submission of label extension applications to the European Medicines Agency and Health Canada two months ago. Both Canada and the EMA have already approved IXCHIQ.

Juan Carlos Jaramillo, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Valneva, commented in a press release on November 26, 2024, “Given the substantial risk that chikungunya presents to individuals residing in or traveling to endemic regions, it’s imperative to ensure the vaccine is available to all age groups. This broader accessibility would certainly help provide protection and mitigate the burden of this debilitating illness which is currently spreading in areas that were previously unaffected."

"The long-term durability of the immune response from a single shot is also extremely important, especially for endemic countries where access to immunization can be difficult.”

As of November 22, 2024, the Pan American Health Organization reported over 412,089 chikungunya cases and 204 related deaths in the Americas this year. 

In the U.S., travel-related chikungunya cases have increased by about 16% in 2024.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases recently published an article showing that IXCHIQ was well tolerated in adolescents 28 days after a single injection, regardless of previous CHIKV infection.

In addition to the adolescent data, the U.S. and Canadian label extension applications included IXCHIQ®’s long-term antibody persistence data, which showed that the vaccine’s immune response was sustained by 97% of participants after 24 months and was equally durable in younger and older adults.

IXCHIQ® was launched in the U.S. at the beginning of March 2024, with launches in France and Canada underway.

In the U.S., IXCHIQ is available at travel clinics and pharmacies.

Valneva expects a marketing authorization in Brazil before the end of 2024 and expanded its partnership with The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) earlier this year to support broader access to the vaccine in Low and Middle-Income Countries, post-marketing trials and potential label extensions in children, adolescents and pregnant women.

CEPI will provide Valneva with up to $41.3 million of additional funding over the next five years, with support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe program.

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease spread by the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes, which causes fever, severe joint and muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue, and rash. Joint pain is often debilitating and can persist for weeks to years.

A study published by MDPI on October 19, 2024, determined the incidence of post-chikungunya chronic rheumatism and its impact on quality of life and chronic fatigue in adults reached seven years.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) announced today that the first locally acquired dengue virus case in Texas was reported in Cameron County, the southernmost county.

As of November 25, 2024, 106 travel-associated dengue cases, including one death, have been reported in Travis (Austin) (14), Dallas (13), and twenty other Texas counties. 

This is the highest annual case count that DSHS has reported since 2002.

Last year, Texas reported 79 travel-related dengue cases and one locally acquired case in Val Verde County.

Most dengue outbreaks in the U.S. have been linked to travelers visiting endemic areas, including Mexico. Located south of the Rio Grande River, Mexico has reported over 480,000 dengue cases and 262 related deaths in 2024.

From a prevention perspective, no dengue vaccines are currently unavailable in the U.S.

In Europe, dengue outbreaks are primarily associated with infections acquired in endemic countries. Local transmission remains rare, with only sporadic, small-scale outbreaks.

However, according to a Rapid Communication published by Eurosurveillance, Volume 29, Issue 47, on November 21, 2024, Italy's Marche Region experienced a locally-acquired dengue outbreak that peaked in early October 2024.

Fano, a small coastal city, reported autochthonous (local) cases beginning in August. By the end of October, 138 confirmed and 61 probable cases of DENV-2 had been notified. 

In total, the Italian National Public Health Authority has reported 213 locally acquired dengue cases in 2024.

Of note, the U.S. CDC's updated Global Dengue Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Advisory listed 26 countries, but not Italy.

From a prevention perspective, Takeda's second-generation QDENGA® tetravalent dengue vaccine was approved in Italy in 2023. Unfortunately, it is not offered in the United States in 2024.